Founding team formed. Operations begin with a mandate to protect the rights of vulnerable and visually disabled children, in their ability to access books and develop reading skills.
The road to empowerment
APR 2016
APR 2017
MAY 2017
1,000 books donated to the Emirati Jordanian refugee camp on an outset programme prior to the Pledge a Library initiative launch.
AUG 2017
Ara initiative launched with the goal of distributing and producing books, for visually impaired and blind children.
NOV 2017
Pledge a Library initiative launched at Sharjah International Book Fair 2017, with the aim of delivering books in Arabic, to Middle Eastern refugee and asylum-seeking groups around the world.
DEC 2017
2,000 books distributed to children in refugee and asylum-seeking communities in Sweden.
DEC 2017
400 braille, large print and audio books distributed to visually disabled children in Jordan and the United Arab Emirates.
MAR 2018
Surveying beings on populations of visually impaired and blind children in the Middle East, North and East Africa.
NOV 2018
WIPO-led Accessible Books Consortium and Kalimat Foundation agree on collaboration for the production of born accessible books in Arabic, adapted for visually disabled children.
DEC 2018
3,500 books distributed to children in refugee and asylum-seeking communities in Armenia, Brazil, France, Germany, Hong Kong and Tunisia.
DEC 2018
1,450 braille, large print and audio books distributed to visually disabled children in Egypt and the United Arab Emirates.
APR 2019
10 MENA publishing houses trained on born accessible production for the visually disabled.
DEC 2019
6,100 books distributed to children in refugee and asylum-seeking communities in Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, Russia and Greece.
DEC 2019
1,580 braille, large print and audio books distributed to visually disabled children in Kuwait, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates.
FEB 2020
Ara shortlisted for the ABC 2020 international Excellence Awards, under the initiative category.
APR 2020
100 accessible EPUB3 books produced in Arabic, allowing for advanced benefit in reading on digital platforms for the visually impaired and blind.
DEC 2020
500 books distributed to children in refugee and asylum-seeking communities in the United Kingdom, Kenya and Somalia.
JAN 2021
1,366 braille, large print and audio books distributed to visually disabled children in Palestine and the United Arab Emirates.
APR 2021
Partnership agreement signed with Book Aid International for Africa, in support of the Pledge a Library initiative.
NOV 2021
Memorandum of Understanding signed with the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, to help identify and recommend recipients who match the foundation’s distribution objectives.
JUN 2022
The UAE Ministry of Economy approves Kalimat Foundation as the first Emirati non-profit organisation licensed to publish titles in accessible formats, in accordance with the statutes and aims defined in the WIPO-led Marrakesh VIP Treaty.
OCT 2022
Memorandum of Understanding signed with Sharjah Public Libraries and House of Wisdom to support Ara – Phase 2.
NOV 2022
- Memorandum of Understanding signed with the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO), to help identify and recommend recipients who match the foundation’s distribution objectives.
- Ara shortlisted for a second time at the ABC 2022 international Excellence Awards, under the initiative category.